Evaporative cooler construction



Dec. 14, 1965 A. D. GOETTL 3,223,393

EVAPORATIVE COOLER CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 23, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. ADAM D. GOETTL l m rh' AGENT Dec. 14, 1965 A. D. GOETTL3,223,393

EVAPORATIVE COOLER CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 23, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2IIEIIIHETIIIIIIZ INVENTOR. ADAM 0. GOETTL Dec. 14, 1965 A. o. GOETTLEVAPORATIVE COOLER CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 23, 1964INVENTOR. ADAM D. GOETTL United States Patent 3,223,393 EVAPORATIVECOOLER CONSTRUCTION Adam D. Goettl, Phoenix, Ariz., assignor to McGraw-Edison Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan.23, 1964, Ser. No. 339,782 1 Claim. (Cl. 26128) This application is acontinuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 49,065,filed August 11, 1960, now abandoned.

This invention relates to an evaporative cooler construction and, moreparticularly, to an evaporative cooler construction which is very simpleand economical to produce.

Prior art evaporative coolers have been constructed employing deep drawnpans for the top and the bottom of the cooler which are interconnectedby corner posts or frame members and additionally various other fixturessuch as motor mounts and blower mounts have been employed, all of whichrequire a considerable number of parts for the construction of suchprior art evaporative coolers.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide anevaporative cooler construction which is particularly adapted toportable evaporative coolers and wherein a complete evaporative coolerhousing and sump assembly is formed principally by two pieces of sheetmetal.

Another object of the invention is to provide an evaporative coolerconstruction wherein two pieces of sheet metal form the housing and sumptogether with a mount for the blower of the evaporative cooler.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple andeconomical evaporative cooler construction which may be produced andsold at a very low price.

Another object of the invention is to provide an evaporative coolerconstruction having a novel housing and sump structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an evaporative coolerhaving a novel housing and sump structure combined with a blower mount.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from thefollowing specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a top or plan view of an evaporative cooler construction inaccordance with the present invention and showing portions thereofbroken away and in section to amplify the illustration;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of an evaporative coolerconstruction in accordance with the present invention and showingportions thereof broken away and in section to amplify the illustration;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken from the line 3-3of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan sectional view of theevaporative cooler pad trough structure of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 5-5 ofFIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view taken from the line 6-6 ofFIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line77 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line88 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line9-9 of FIGURE 2.

As shown in the plan view in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the evaporativecooler construction comprises a main housing member 10 which isgenerally an inverted U shaped structure shown in FIGURE 2 wherein anupper panel 12 of the housing member forms the top of the evaporativecooler housing while panels 14 and 16 form two opposite sides of thiscooler housing structure. The side portion 14 of the housing member atits lower edge is provided with an inwardly directed portion 18 whichforms a terminus of the one end of the member 10, while the opposite endthereof terminates at 20 which is the lower edge portion of the side 16of the evaporative cooler housing formed by the housing member 14).

As shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the top panel 12 and side formingpanels 14 and 16 are provided with a molding edge portion 22 which isformed integrally with the housing member 10. This housing member 10 maybe made of any suitable sheet metal having various surface finishes orlaminations, as desired. The molding 22 being formed by folded portionsat the edge of the housing member 10 is located at the front side 24 ofthe evaporative cooler construction wherein an air directing louvergrill 26 is disposed. Adjacent this louver grill is a verticallydisposed sheet metal panel 28 in which control knobs 30 and 32 arerotatably mounted. These knobs 30 and 32 control an electrical switch 34and a water control valve 36, as shown best in FIGURES 2 and 8 of thedrawings.

Disposed rearwardly of the grill 26 and panel 28 is an upstandingportion 38 of a sump bottom member, as will be hereinafter described.This upstanding portion 38 provides a mount for a blower 40 and oppositeedges of this upstanding portion 38 are formed into angular flanges 42which are secured on the inner sides of the side portions 14 and 16 ofthe main housing member 10.

Attention is directed to FIGURE 3 wherein the upstanding portion 38 atits flange portion 42 is integral with a substantially upright U shapedsump portion having opposite sides 44 and 46 integral with a bot-tomforming portion 48. The angular flange 42 is integral with the bottomportion 48 as well as the opposite side forming portions 44 and 46. Thisstructure is common to the connection of the sump and bottom formingmember in connection with both of the sides 14 and 16 of the mainhousing member 10.

Attention is directed to FIGURE 7 of the drawings wherein the angularflange 42 is spot welded at 50 to the side 14 of the main housing member10 and wherein the bottom portion 48 of the sump and bottom formingmember 48 is sealed to the side portion 14 by suitable mastic 52 whichprevents leakage of water A downwardly between the flange 42 and theside 14. This mastic is placed adjacent both of the sides 14 and 16 ofthe main housing member 10 in order to completely seal the sump portionformed by the sump and bottom forming member comprising the sideportions 44, 46, bottom 48 and the upstanding portion 38 together withthe flange portions 42.

The blower 40 is provided with an extending shaft 54 which extendsdownwardly into the sump between the sides 44 and 46 and this shaft 54operates a water pump 56 having an outlet tube 58 coupled with aflexible conduit 60 which extends to the inlet of the valve 36 which isprovided with outlet 62 coupled to a tube 64 which delivers water to thetrough 66, as shown in FIGURE 5 of the drawings. The trough 66 isprovided with a baffle 68 above the outlet 70 of the tube 64 to preventsplashing and overflow of water beyond the edges of the trough 66. Thistrough 66 is provided with conventional outlet openings 72 which draininto an evaporative cooler pad 74 inwardly of a louver plate 76. Waterwhich drains from the trough 66 passes downwardly into the sump betweenthe walls 44 and 46 and the opposite side walls 14 and 16 of the mainhousing member 10.

The trough 66 when in the solid line position shown in FIGURE 3 of thedrawings is disposed to receive water in the direction as indicated bythe arrow B which drains downwardly into the sump and fills the same tothe desired level as indicated by the indicating lever 78 at its endportion 80 which is visible through an opening 82 in the grill 26. Thelever 78 is pivoted on a fulcrum pin 84, as shown best in FIGURES 2 and9 of the drawings. This fulcrum pin 84 is mounted on the upstandingportion 38 of the bottom and sump forming member.

Secured to the lower end of the lever 78 is a hollow float member 86which is disposed to float on the water A in the sump and to move theindicator portion 80 in accordance with the amount of water in the sump.

A front plate 88 is secured by spot welds 90 to the upstanding portion38 of the sump and bottom member and this panel 88 serves as a frontportion of the housing below the grill 26 and panel 28. This member 88interconnects the opposite side portions 14 and 16 of the main housingmember 10 at the front of the evaporative cooler construction inaccordance with the invention.

In operation the switch 34 controls the blower 40 while the valve 36operable by the knob 32 controls the amount of water passing to thetrough 66 and a latch 100 is utilized to latch the trough and padstructure in a broken line position C as shown in FIGURE 3 of thedrawings. This latch 100 is a bayonet type latch having a pair ofopposed fingers 102 which pass through an elongated opening 104 at 90degrees thereto. The latch 100 is then pivoted transversely of the slot104 to lock the trough and pad assembly securely in the position asshown in FIGURE of the drawings which is the normal operating positionthereof.

When it is desired to add water to the sump and supplement the water Ain the sump, as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, water is poured intothe trough as indicated at B whereupon the sump is filled to a desiredlevel as indicated by the end 80 of the lever 78 as viewed through theopening 82. The trough and pad structure is then replaced to theposition shown in FIGURE 5 and latched by the latch 100.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a mannerlimited only by a just interpretation of the following claim.

I claim:

In an evaporative cooler the combination of: a housing; an inverted Ushaped housing member forming a top and two opposite vertically disposedsides of said housing; an upright U shaped housing member orientedsubstantially 90 degrees to and telescopically secured to said invertedU shaped housing member; a sump structure in a lower portion of saidhousing; a horizontal portion of said upright U shaped housing memberforming a bottom of said sump structure; and opposed upstanding sides ofsaid U shaped upright housing member forming two sides of said sumpstructure above and at said horizontal portion; said sides of saidinverted U shaped housing member forming two sides of said sumpstructure above and at said horizontal portion; a blower mounted in saidhousing; one of said sides having an opening therein; an outlet of saidblower communicating with said opening; an evaporative cooler padmounted in another one of said sides; and means for supplying water toan upper portion of said pad, said horizontal portion having downwardlyturned flanges contiguous with respective sides of said inverted housingand forming mastic holding crevices to seal said sump structure; saidflanges extending downwardly substantially to the lowermost end of saidsides of said inverted U shaped housing member and said lowermost endshaving inturned flanges extending inwardly below said horizontal portionwhereat said flanges of said horizontal portions bottom at the bendbetween said lowermost ends of said inturned flanges.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,606,009 8/1952Long 26129 2,824,664 2/1958 French et al 220-81 2,827,270 3/1958 Martin26196 X 2,856,166 10/1958 Goettl 261-29 2,859,607 11/1958 Makray -343FOREIGN PATENTS 661,226 3/ 1929 France.

9,560 12/1905 Great Britain.

HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Examiner.

